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Visa-sponsor jobs

Manufacturing engineer jobs with visa sponsorship in the UK

Manufacturing and production engineers sit in SOC 2125, a higher-skilled occupation, so the shortage list is not needed. A licensed employer can sponsor the job under the general rules if the pay is at least £41,700 a year or the going rate for the code. A sponsor licence is not a promise of sponsorship for any job.

58 jobs live right now. Free to browse and free to apply; we never charge candidates, and we never promise a job.

Row of complex automated machinery in a modern production facility

Checked 28 October 2026

Rules at a glance, checked 28 October 2026

These are the Skilled Worker rules that matter for this trade. They change, so read GOV.UK before you act. This is not immigration advice.

  • General salary threshold: £41,700 a year, or the going rate for the occupation code if that is higher.
  • Lower threshold: £33,400 if you are under 26, a current or recent UK student or Graduate visa holder, or in professional training (70% of the going rate).
  • Skill level: since 22 July 2025 the route generally needs a job at degree level (RQF level 6). Medium-skilled jobs qualify only if they are also on the Temporary Shortage List or the Immigration Salary List and meet the salary rules.
  • English: level B2 for new applicants (since 8 January 2026).
  • Source: Skilled Worker visa: your job, GOV.UK (opens in a new tab); when you can be paid less (opens in a new tab)

Occupation codes for this trade

Occupation codes (SOC), skill level and Temporary Shortage List status, standard rate for a 37.5 hour week
SOCJob typeSkill levelShortage list
2125Production and process engineersHigherNot needed

The Temporary Shortage List has 52 occupations and expires on 31 December 2026. The Migration Advisory Committee's report of 23 July 2026 recommends 28 occupations for 18 months more. The government had not decided when we checked, so we update this page when it does.

Source: Temporary Shortage List, GOV.UK (opens in a new tab); MAC Stage 2 report (opens in a new tab).

Two things to remember

  • A sponsor licence is not a promise of sponsorship for this job. The employer decides that for each role, and the Home Office decides the visa.
  • You should never pay an employer or agent for a job or for sponsorship. Check any employer on the Home Office register before you share documents.

58 jobs: from licensed sponsors or offering sponsorship

58 of these are from a licensed visa sponsor or say sponsorship is offered. A licence does not mean a particular job is sponsored: ask the employer. How the tags work.

Search more manufacturing engineer jobs

Where the manufacturing engineer jobs are

Places named in today's adverts. A city link opens all automation and maintenance jobs within about 25 miles.

Employers hiring

  • Rolls-Royce (11)
  • ALTEN (3)
  • BAE Systems (3)
  • Hays Engineering (3)
  • Robert Walters (3)
  • Apogee Corporation Limited (2)
  • Diageo (2)
  • McLaren Automotive Limited (2)

Employers with the most live jobs here, not counting recruitment agencies.

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Checked 28 October 2026

Pay and demand, with sources and dates

FAQ

Questions people ask

Does a manufacturing engineer need the shortage list for a visa?

No. Production and process engineers (SOC 2125) are higher skilled, so the general Skilled Worker rules apply: a licensed employer, an eligible job and pay of at least £41,700 a year or the going rate for the code, whichever is higher. A sponsor licence is not a promise of sponsorship for this job. You should never pay an employer or agent for a job or for sponsorship. This is not immigration advice (checked 28 October 2026).

What do manufacturing engineers earn compared with the threshold?

Median gross annual pay for full-time production and process engineers (includes control and instrumentation engineers and industrial and production engineers) was £48,700 in April 2026. Provisional. (ONS ASHE 2026, published 22 October 2026.) The median is close to the general threshold, so the job's own pay and going rate matter more than the median. Adverts that state pay show it on the job card.

Are control and instrumentation engineers in the same code?

Yes. SOC 2125 includes control and instrumentation engineers as well as industrial and production engineers, so the same higher-skilled rules apply. The employer chooses the code on the certificate of sponsorship and the Home Office checks it.

Can a graduate manufacturing engineer be sponsored?

Yes, the job is degree level. People under 26 and recent UK graduates can be paid less than the general rate (from £33,400 a year). See our graduate engineer sponsorship page for how the Graduate visa changes on 1 January 2027.

Related

Next steps

Sponsorship labels come from the advert's own words, the employer's own statement or the Home Office register of licensed sponsors. They are not a promise of a visa, and EDWartens does not sponsor visas.

UK employers must check that you have the right to work in the UK before you start. Ask the employer what it needs from you.

The EDWartens job board is free for jobseekers: seeing jobs, applying and joining the talent pool never need a purchase, and we never charge candidates. Jobs read from other sites are written by other people. We do not promise any interview or job.